Russian prisoners taken by the Qajar army
April 4th.―Near four hundred Russian
prisoners arrived, who had surrendered after the battle of Kara Baugh; they
came from Tabriz to be exhibited before the king, who would not believe they
had been taken without seeing them. Many of the poor fellows were wounded, and
unable to bear the fatigue of the march, but they were forced along till
several of them died by the way: those however who did arrive were immediately
assisted by Doctors Cormick and Sharpe, who dressed their wounds, which had
never been done since the battle, the Persians having no surgeons.
The officers taken were the following: ―Captain Platon
Andreaje; shtaps (sub) Captains, Stepan Osipeech and Alexander Freyoot Selieh;
Potporoochik (Lieuts.) Ivan Karpich, Michaelo Terentiech, artillery, Pietre
Andreaje, and Vauseelé Gregooridge; Praprechik (Ensign) Evan Evanof.
The Shah conferred the title of General on Captain
Platon Andreaje, and sent him as a present insignia of an order set in glass,
which served to amuse the officers, and caused them much laughter. The insignia
was carried to him by Nicholai Evanof, a young man who had been taken prisoner
about nine years before, and made slave to one of the princes. Nicholai Evanof
is about twenty-four years of age; he has often called upon me and recounted
his history. He is the son of a Captain Evanof, and was born at Moscow. He was
taken by the army of Abbas Mirza at fifteen years of age, and was doomed, with
his fellow prisoners, to be beheaded; he was the only one that was spared, on
condition of becoming a mussulman, which he pretended to do, and took a fresh
name, that of Iskandar or Alexander. He was sent by Abbas Mirza as a present to
one of his brothers at Tehiran, from whence he soon afterwards found means of
escaping, and had travelled almost to the Russian frontiers, living upon herbs
most of the way; but his tongue betrayed him, and he was re-taken by the
Persians within twelve miles of the Russian territory, again condemned to
death, but was let off with a severe bastinadoing, and has been strictly
watched ever since. He had some hopes of getting his release through the means
of Sir Gore, particularly if his Excellency should return to England through
Russia, as in that case he might be very serviceable to him on the road. Sir
Gore commissioned him to deliver some messages to the officers above mentioned,
and when Nicholai Evanof heard the name of Evan Evanof and examined his
features, he told me he suspected him to be his own brother, and when a convenient
opportunity offered, would endeavour to ascertain who Evan Evanof was.
William Price, Journal of the British Embassy to Persia; Embellished
with Numerous Views taken in India and Persia: also a Dissertation upon the
Antiquities of Persepolis. — London: Kingsbury, Parbury, and Allen, Booksellers
to the Honourable East India Company, p. 33.
No comments:
Post a Comment